Audi uses special aluminum alloys in its all new A8 L Security sedan

One of the quieter, more subtle reveals of the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, the A8 L Security sedan debuted as Audi's most secure car ever. It leaps two levels beyond its predecessor and packs enough reinforcements to survive armor-piercing assault rifle fire and hand grenade explosions.

Last year, Mercedes introduced its VR9-certified Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard, and now Audi is meeting the same benchmark with its luxury flagship. The black A8 makes an appropriately stately but low-profile platform for an armored package.

Audi has built the unitary occupant safety cell up from lightweight but high-strength materials including aramide fabric, special aluminum alloys and hot-formed armor steel. That gives it full VR9-level protection, which in layman's terms, means it can withstand fire from an assault rifle loaded with NATO armor piercing ammunition.

The A8 L Security also offers explosive resistance, giving it the ability to roll through a hand grenade attack. This comes courtesy of reinforced aluminum side sills and a special-alloy armor-plated floor. The seemingly vulnerable glass has also been reinforced. Audi uses a multi-layer construction with a splinter-inhibiting polycarbonate inside layer on the door windows, windshield and rear window.

The A8 chassis has been retuned to handle the extra weight of the security package, and the L Security rides on forged aluminum wheels wrapped in special tires.

Audi is now taking orders for the new A8 L Security, and deliveries will begin in spring (northern hemisphere) of next year. Its Neckarsulm plant and a "secure, top-secret factory" will be responsible for manufacturing.